Heena Sharma Blog

  An Indian Air Force pilot was killed after a MiG-21 Bison aircraft crashed in Punjab's Moga district, officials said on Friday. The aircraft was on a routine sortie from Suratgarh when it crashed near a village in Moga, they said. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident which took place late Thursday night.   There was an aircraft accident last night involving a Bison aircraft of IAF in the western sector, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said in a tweet. The pilot, Sqn Ldr Abhinav Choudhary, sustained fatal injuries. IAF condoles the tragic loss and stands firmly with the bereaved family. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident, it said. Read More

An Indian Air Force aircraft on Thursday evacuated 76 Indians and 36 foreign nationals from the coronavirus -hit Chinese city of Wuhan. The C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft was sent to Wuhan on Wednesday and it carried 15 tonnes of medical supplies for coronavirus-affected people in China. On its return, the aircraft brought back 112 people including 23 citizens from Bangladesh, six from China, two each from Myanmar and the Maldives and one each from South Africa, the US and Madagascar. Earlier, India had evacuated around 650 Indians from Wuhan in two Air India flights. "In all 723 Indian nationals and 43 foreign nationals have been evacuated from Wuhan, China in these three flights," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. Read More

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid tribute to the 40 CRPF jawans, who lost their lives in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama Attack on February 14 last year, and said that the country will never forget their martyrdom. Modi described the CRPF personnel as 'exceptional individuals' who devoted their lives by serving the country. "Tributes to the brave martyrs who lost their lives in the gruesome Pulwama attack last year. They were exceptional individuals who devoted their lives to serving and protecting our nation. India will never forget their martyrdom," the Prime Minister tweeted. It was around 3:00 pm on this day last year, when a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist rammed a vehicle carrying explosives into the Central Reserve Police Force (CPRF) convoy on Srinagar-Jammu national highway. Around 40 CRPF personnel were killed when their convoy was targeted by the suicide bomber of Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pulwama dis...

The Indian Air Force inducted eight US-made Apache AH-64E attack helicopters here on Tuesday, which will give a major boost to its combat capabilities. Officials said the aircraft were formally inducted at the induction ceremony at Pathankot Air Force station with Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa as the chief guest. The AH-64E Apache is one of the world's most advanced multi-role combat helicopters, and is flown by the US Army. "Eight of the Apache attack helicopters inducted into the IAF, that will enhance the force's combat capabilities," a senior IAF official said. The ceremonial key was handed over by the Boeing company. The IAF had signed a multi-billion dollar contract with the US government and Boeing Ltd in September 2015 for 22 Apache helicopters. Read More Article Source -> Business Standard

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman , who spent some days in Pakistani custody when his MiG-21 was shot down in a dogfight with PAF jets a day after the February 26 Balakot airstrike, will likely be conferred the Vir Chakra on Independence Day, sources said Wednesday. The 36-year-old IAF pilot had suffered injuries while ejecting from his MiG-21 Bison during the aerial combat between Indian and Pakistani air forces on February 27. Varthaman, who became the face of a tense military confrontation between India and Pakistan, is set to fly MiG-21 within a few weeks as a medical board cleared his return to fighter cockpit. Official sources said IAF's Bangaluru-based Institute of Aerospace Medicine has given the go-ahead to Varthaman to fly again following a thorough medical evaluation. Varthaman was captured by the Pakistani Army on February 27 after his MiG-21 Bison jet was shot down in a dogfight with Pakistani jets during aerial combat. Before his jet was hit, ...

IAF Recruitment 2019 : The online registration for scheduled test for Indian Air Force (IAF) airmen recruitment 2019 will close on Thursday (July 18, 2019) at 4:30 pm. Today is the last day to apply for Indian Air Force Recruitment 2019 for Airmen posts. In an official notification, IAF had invited eligible candidates for the post of Airman in GROUP X' and Group Y Trades. Earlier, July 15 was the last date to apply for the IAF airmen posts, but the online registration has been extended to July 18. The Indian Air Force is conducting a special recruitment programme for the posts of Airmen. Aspirants can apply for the job on the official websites: careerindianairforce.cdac.in or airmenselection.cdac.in. Application will be filled online by the candidates and detailed instructions to fill up the same are available at airmenselection.cdac.in and on careerindianairforce.cdac.in. IAF Recruitment 2019 examination shall be valid for one intake/entry only. Candidates have to pay an...

Indian Air Force Recruitment 2019: Today is the last day to apply for Indian Air Force Recruitment 2019 for Airmen posts. In an official notification, IAF had invited eligible candidates for the post of Airman in GROUP X' and Group Y Trades. Today is the last day for online registration. Candidates can apply for the job on the official websites: careerindianairforce.cdac.in or airmenselection.cdac.in. "Indian Air Force invites unmarried male citizens of India and Nepal born between 19 July 1999 and 01 July 2003 (both days inclusive) to join as an Airman in Group X (except Education Instructor) Trades and Group Y { except IAF(S) & Musician} Trades," read official notice. Indian Air Force Recruitment 2019: Steps to apply 1. Visit the official website, careerindianairforce.cdac.in 2. Click on the 'Airmen' tab 3. Click on the 'Apply Now' link 4. Click on 'New User' link in case you have not registered before 5. Fill up the sign u...

Commemorating 20 years of the Kargil War , the IAF on Monday turned the Gwalior air base virtually into a conflict theatre, with dramatic reenactment of some of the milestones of the operation in 1999. In a symbolic 'recreation' of the Tiger Hill attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Drass-Kargil area, the air force used the Mirage 2000 aircraft and explosives were blown up on a 'model hill' to recreate the crucial events of the war. The chief guest for the event is Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa. The IAF has planned several activities at the air base to commemorate the 20 years of the war and the symbolic 'recreation' of the Tiger Hill attack was one of them. Five Mirage 2000, two MiG 21s and one Sukoi 30 MKI were on static display at the base. One of the Mirage 2000s showcased the Spice bomb carrier. The bomb was used in the Balakot airstrike in February. "The Kargil conflict offers an exemplary experience in the use of air power in warfare in high mo...

On February 1, two experienced Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots died when their newly upgraded Mirage 2000-I fighter crashed while taking-off in Bengaluru. A Court of Inquiry (CoI) investigating the accident is now confronting the worrying possibility of a glitch in the Mirage 2000’s flight computer that kicks in without warning, causing the aircraft to behave unpredictably. IAF flight records examined by the CoI have revealed at least four such incidents in the past. In each of these, a flying Mirage 2000 has, suddenly and without command from the pilot, jerked its nose towards the ground. Then, as spontaneously, the nose was jerked upwards. Each time, the aircraft has continued this up-and-down jerking — termed “pitch oscillations” — for several seconds before resuming normal flight. Members of the CoI from the IAF, Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), the National Aeronautics Laboratory (NAL) and the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) are veering round to the belief that such an i...

High-resolution satellite images reviewed by Reuters show that a religious school run by Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in northeastern Pakistan appears to be still standing days after India claimed its warplanes had hit the Islamist group's training camp on the site and killed a large number of militants. The images produced by Planet Labs Inc, a San Francisco-based private satellite operator, show at least six buildings on the madrasa site on March 4, six days after the airstrike. Until now, no high-resolution satellite images were publicly available. But the images from Planet Labs, which show details as small as 72 cm (28 inches), offer a clearer look at the structures the Indian government said it attacked. The image is virtually unchanged from an April 2018 satellite photo of the facility. There are no discernible holes in the roofs of buildings, no signs of scorching, blown-out walls, displaced trees around the madrasa or other signs of an aerial attack. The images ca...

A fire broke out Wednesday on the fifth floor of Pandit Deendayal Antyodaya Bhawan at the CGO complex that houses important government offices, according to Delhi Fire Services officials. The Fire department got a call regarding the blaze at 8:34 am. Twenty-five tenders were rushed to the spot, the officials said. A CISF sub-inspector fell unconscious after inhaling the smoke and was taken to AIIMS, but he's safe now, they said, adding fire department personnel are trying to douse the flames. Offices of the drinking water and sanitation ministry, forest ministry and a branch of the Indian Air Force are located in the Pandit Deendayal Antyodaya Bhawan, previously known as Paryavaran Bhawan. The same building houses the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), which is scheduled to take up Reliance Communications' insolvency plea today. Read More Article Source -> Business Standard

Pakistan on Thursday announced that it will release an Indian Air Force pilot who was captured on Wednesday after an aerial combat between the two countries’ fighter jets along the Line of Control. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the release of IAF pilot will be a "peace gesture". The worst military standoff between the two rival neighbours began on Tuesday when India’s external affairs ministry said the country’s air force jets had launched airstrikes against terrorists inside Pakistan. The target was a camp run by Jaish-e-Mohammed which claimed responsibility for the February 14 suicide car bombing in Pulwama, Kashmir, which killed 40 members of India’s paramilitary CRPF. On Wednesday, Pakistan claimed it had downed an Indian jet. Article Source -> Business Standard

Yusuf Azhar , who headed the Balakot-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp destroyed by Indian fighter jets in a pre-dawn strike Tuesday, is wanted by the CBI in the IC-814 hijacking case with a pending Interpol red corner notice against him since 2000, officials said. The red corner notice was issued on the request of the CBI against seven accused in the hijacking of the Indian Airlines plane from Kathmandu to Kandahar in southern Afghanistan on December 24, 1999 -- Yousuf Azhar, Ibrahim Athar, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Zahoor Ibrahim, Shahid Akhter, Sayed Shakir and Abdul Rauf, they said. Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, while briefing the media on the "intelligence-led operation" on the Pakistan-based terror group's biggest training camp in Balakot, said the facility was headed by Yousuf Azhar alias Ustad Ghouri. Brother-in-law of Jaish chief Masood Azhar, Yousuf Azhar with red corner notice number A-565/6-2000 and Rauf with notice number A-566/6-2000 are key conspira...

Hours after Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter aircraft crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and bombed terrorist camps in Pakistan, India’s foreign secretary, Vijay Gokhale, said this was an “absolutely necessary” attack on the proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist group, which was readying for a major terrorist strike in India. “ In an intelligence led operation in the early hours of the day, India struck the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot . In this operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated,” Gokhale said. Stressing the value of this target, Gokhale stated: “This facility at Balakot was headed by MAULANA YOUSUF AZHAR (alias USTAD GHOURI), the brother-in-law of MASOOD AZHAR, Chief of JeM (capitals in original).” Qualifying those claims of success, the statement also said: “As the strike has taken place only a short while ago, we are awaiting further detail...

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Tuesday lauded the pilots of the Indian Air Force after air strikes on Pakistan. "I salute the pilots of the IAF," he tweeted. Gandhi also put out the Indian flag along with his tweet. The Congress also tweeted, lauding the role of the Indian Air Force in keeping Indians safe with its consistent and determined effort. "We salute the @IAF_MCC for their consistent & determined effort to keep Indians safe. Jai Hind," the Congress said on its official Twitter handle. Article Source -> Business Standard

Two aircraft of IAF's aerobatic team Suryakiran crashed near the Yelahanka airbase here Tuesday, a day before the opening of the Aero India show, a top police official said. Both the pilots ejected to safety, Additional commissioner of Police (East) Seemanth Kumar Singh told PTI. It was not immediately clear whether the two aircraft collided before the crash. Article Source -> Business Standard

The Air Force has 13.09 per cent of women officers, the highest among all three forces, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said Wednesday. The Army has 3.80 per cent of women officers , while the Navy has six per cent of women officers, he said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. The Air Force has 13.09 per cent of women officers in its force. Women are recruited in the Army, Navy and the Air Force only in the officer's rank. In response to a question, on import of missiles from Russia that could attract US sanctions, the Minister said the government was aware of all developments that may impact the procurement of defence equipments. To another query, Bhamre said a Board of Enquiry has been constituted to look into the explosion incident outside the demolition pit. Read More Business Standard

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is planning to launch a dedicated communication satellite for defence purposes next week. GSAT-7A is a communications satellite which can be used by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army. Isro is all set to launch the communication satellite GSAT-7A on board the GSLV-F11 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on December 19, 2018. The satellite will weigh 2.2 tonnes and will be launched by the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV Mk II) rocket, said Isro. The satellite will be placed in the geostationary orbit and this communication satellite is expected to help the IAF interlink different ground radar stations, airbases and AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control System) aircraft. GSAT-7A is the 35th Indian Communication satellite built by Isro. The GSAT-7A spacecraft is configured on Isro’s standard I-2,000 Kg (I-2K) bus. The satellite is built to provide communication capability to the users in Ku-ban...

Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa Wednesday strongly defended the government's decision to procure only 36 Rafale fighter jets against the original proposal of 126 aircraft, saying there have been similar "emergency" acquisitions in the past. The Air Force is reeling under a severe shortage of fighter aircraft at a time India faces security challenges from two nuclear-powered neighbours, the air chief marshal said, adding that the purchase of 36 Rafale jets (two squadrons) will help the force deal with the situation. One squadron of fighter jets comprises 16-18 aircraft. "Whenever the government felt the air power element of the defence forces is likely to be in a disadvantageous position, it has gone in for emergency purchases of the aircraft under the umbrella of the inter-governmental agreement," Dhanoa said, addressing a seminar on IAF's force restructuring. ALSO READ: Here's how the IAF is quietly making prepa...

The tender for 110 combat aircraft mandates building at least 85% of the order locally Current Affairs News : It could be another two years before India picks the winner of the world’s biggest combat aircraft order, according to a senior Boeing Co. executive. Boeing is well placed in the race to supply the Indian Air Force with 110 fighter jets, Gene Cunningham, Boeing vice president of global defense sales, told Bloomberg News on Sunday on the sidelines of a security forum in Singapore. The company is a finalist in a separate competition to supply the Indian navy with 57 fighter jets. “We have gotten to know Indian industry, understand the Indian process,” Cunningham said. The tender for 110 combat aircraft mandates building at least 85 per cent of the order locally. The deal is likely to be at least $15 billion. Boeing said in April that it would partner with state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. and Mahindra Defense Systems Ltd. to manufacture the F/A-18 ...